A new outbreak caused by the avian flu disease has been detected in Washington's Clallam County, according to Reuters.
Authorities reported that the disease has infected bird flocks of private owners residing in the area.
Joelle Hayden, the spokesperson for the United States Department of Agriculture, noted that the latest outbreak has only infected chickens, geese and ducks kept by private owners in their backyards. Investigations revealed that commercial poultry farms have not been affected by the virus.
Despite this, the Department of Agriculture strongly advises both private and commercial poultry handlers to ensure that their birds do not interact with migratory fowls. These animals, which flew from unknown areas, have been identified by officials as carriers of the disease.
"All bird owners, whether commercial producers or backyard enthusiasts, need to continue practicing good biosecurity, preventing contact between their birds and wild birds and reporting sick birds or unusual bird deaths," Hayden said in a statement.
In response to the new outbreak, federal officials took away around 120 birds in an effort to stop the spread of the disease to the rest of the flock. This season's avian flu, brought by the H5N2 strain, was first detected in Washington in December last year. At that time, the virus infected a number of birds in Whatcom County.
Aside from Washington, the new strain of avian flu has also been detected in California, Utah, and Oregon. Authorities in Idaho recently reported that the disease has hit the state after they discovered that chickens owned by a resident in Canyon County have been infected by the virus, the Associated Press reported.
Although Idaho's outbreak has not yet reached commercial farms, state veterinarian Bill Barton of the Department of Agriculture said the virus still poses a risk due to the number of residents who own birds.
"We don't have much of a poultry industry at all, but there's a fair number of people with backyard chicken flocks," he told the Associated Press.
